what were the albums/musicians that shaped my taste in music? let's try to find out

organized chronologically - i will be reflecting on each of these in the future

the clash - london calling (1979)

i cannot begin to estimate how many times i have listened to this album. i'm sure it was played throughout my childhood, but when i was maybe 10 or 11, my dad was a man obsessed with the clash. one of his friends got a clash tattoo during that time. they rarely wrote love songs. i think most of the album is reflecting on life, societal and political commentaries. despite the clash's association with punk, i don't really consider london calling a punk album. it has that blend of ska, punk, reggae, rock you hear in a number of these english alt bands of the early 80s. but whatever, who am i to say it's not punk?

madness - one step beyond (1979)

top 5 bands i wish i was in. if you haven't watched all of madness' music videos from this album, you're missing out. the production value may be low, but they must have been so much fun to make. Anyway, this album is filled with absolute jams - "night boat to cairo" is one of my favorites.

talking heads - speaking in tongues (1983)

the talking heads are really having a moment, perhaps their moment never really stopped. as with most of these albums, speaking in tongues got a lot of play in my family. "this must be the place" remains a song that reminds me of evenings in the living room and roadtrips to springfield or chicago. very fitting. when i was a freshman in high school, i made an imovie presentation about david byrne for an assignment on a modern renaissance person. haha

lloyd cole and the commotions - rattlesnakes (1984)

u2 - the unforgettable fire (1984)

people rightfully hate on u2 (bono is annoying and that forced itunes download was obnoxious), but i am been conditioned to appreciate, at the very least, early u2. i also know an absurd amount of u2 trivia and have seen their 9/11 tribute concert many times.

the pogues- rum sodomy & the lash (1985)

billy bragg - talking with the taxman about poetry (1986)

the housemartins - london 0 hull 4 (1986)

the woodentops - giant (1986)

hothouse flowers - people (1988)

the b-52's - cosmic thing (1989)

r.e.m. - automatic for the people (1992)

toad the wet sprocket - dulcinea (1994)

billy bragg & wilco - mermaid avenue (1998)

aimee mann - bachelor no. 2 (or, the last remains of the dodo) (2000)

the shins - chutes too narrow (2003)

arcade fire - funeral (2004)

the national - alligator (2005)

josh ritter - the animal years (2006)

rilo kiley - under the blacklight (2007)

feist - the reminder (2008)

elbow - the seldom seen kid (2008)

stornoway - beachcomber's windowsill (2010)

frank turner - england keep my bones (2011)

blind pilot - we are the tide (2011)